54: AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE or TEXAS. 



southern portion of the county. Public roads are being slowly improved. 

 About 96 miles of mainline railroad serve the county. 

 The land area may be divided as follows : 



' Approximate total area 337,380 acres. 



Virgin timber lands Negligible. 



Second growth lands 65,000 acres. 



Culled and cut-over lands 125,000 acres. 



All other lands 147,280 acres. 



There are practically no virgin timber areas of commercial value in 

 Upshur County. Mixed hardw r oods of scrubby growth and undesirable 

 species occupy a small area. 



Second growth lands support stands of shortleaf pine and mixed hard- 

 woods. The best areas are located in the eastern portion of the county. 

 A large acreage in this type is of old field origin and scattered tracts of 

 old field pine are now producing mine props. The future value of the 

 timber is fast becoming recognized. 



The timber on the culled and cut-over areas is mostly pine with a small 

 percentage of sweet gum and oak in the mixture. Mills are now catting 

 such timber as was left by earlier logging operations but which has since 

 grown to merchantable size. While the greater proportion of these lands 

 should be kept forested there is yet a considerable area sruitable for agri- 

 culture. 



Agricultural operations consist of general farming, stock raising, and 

 fruit growing. No lands are being abandoned, but at the same time there 

 is little tendency to clear new lands. Farms range from 400 to 1,000 

 acres in size. Eroded areas, pasture, and hillside lands are found in all 

 sections of the county. All such areas, however, may be utilized for 

 farming, grazing or timber growing ii properly handled. All of Upshur 

 County is under hog law and about one-fourth under general stock law. 



Lumbering has ceased to be an important industry. Operations have 

 been carried on for more than 40 years, but on a gradually decreasing scale. 

 At the pre'sent time 13 small mills produce not more than 6,500,000 feet 

 annually. 



Approximately 25,000 pine, sweet gum, and oak hewn ties and from 

 25,000 to 30,000 mine props are produced annually. One small spoke 

 and stave factory and two small shingle mills are being operated in the 

 county. One box and crate factory consumes not less than 5,000,000 feet 

 of gum annually. 



Grass and woodland fires are still frequent in Upshur County. They 

 are set either carelessly or in the belief that such burning will reduce 

 the growth of scrub hardwoods and weeds. The present condition of the 

 burned over areas with their non-merchantable growth of timber should 

 discourage this practice. This county is an example of the varied and 

 extensive forest products available from second growth forests after the 

 lumber industry has ceased to be important. In after years the second 

 growth in every county becomes a means of increasing the income oil 

 the farms. 



